It is every bit as delicious as they claim.It was not something I was looking forward to, but Questlove is everywhere. However, white people view him as safe, and won't allow anyone else in the door. So it is Questloves job to spread the word, which would otherwise go unheard.If you were alive in 1969 and hail from New York, you'll know that Harlem Cultural Festival was not as significant as they claim. It all comes together at end of film, where it is said that the Harlem Cultural Festival is a part of black history. And 1969.All those white people are mad because of this.The sixties were turbulent. Many people went home to their families after Kent State. The boomers left in the eighties. Clinton oversaw a decade in prosperity in the nineties. It is not for everyone, it's never for everyone. It all began to fall apart in the 21st century. People realized that there was economic inequality in the late teens. They were left without jobs or low-paying services jobs and had to work as dogs to make ends meet. The underclass. This is the underclass that Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump appealed back to in 2016, which now seems like ancient history. Despite the fact that there are many more poor people than rich ones, no one was listening to them. One reason why the wealthy live behind bars and fly privately is that they fear being attacked in the middle of revolution. It can happen. Take a look at 1/6.However, 1/6 was mainly made up of middle and upper-middle class people. Because they couldn't afford D.C., the underclass could not afford it. They didn't have enough bread to get to work. All hell is breaking loose now that the majority of people of color will outnumber whites. They have been telling us for years that climate change was coming. Now, all hell is breaking loose.Now, the sixties seem blurred together. However, 69 was a crucial year. This was the year when all the faders reached their maximum. It was thrilling to be alive in music and politics. You'll also find optimism underneath the performances and talking points of this film. Today, so many people are pessimistic. George Floyd's death ignited a bomb that had remained in waiting since long before Ferguson. But white people don't see any difference, as they equate it to 1/6. Let me now see, one group is fighting for equal rights and the other to bring down the nation, because they believe it is going in the wrong direction. They want Trump to keep his power. The voting rights bills are the answer. They are trying to keep their fingers in the dike. But they are afraid. There is no progress. There are bogeymen but this is not the end of the line. Either the people of color stop now or it's over. So, the lawsuit claiming too many Asians are admitted to Harvard is a direct attack on affirmative action. What about white people? They don't want to sacrifice. This is all being called critical race theory. Do not underestimate the importance of maintaining the status quo. No one, particularly white Americans with money, can give up their rights to the U.S. They are told that immigrants are taking their jobs, but this is a blatant lie. Immigrants are doing the jobs they are refusing to do.The problem with all music documentaries is that they don't show full songs. To the point that most music documentaries are basically concerts. YouTube has enough of this. But I wanted to hear some musical acts, so I tuned in.Stevie Wonder is the first to be introduced. He was a master drummer, who would have thought? The performances keep going, but simultaneously, the history of 1969, including the black experience in 1969 is shown. This makes the film more interesting. The songs are not complete, but there is still footage and talking heads. It's like a school class that you have never attended.Nina Simone is the surprise of this show. Wow! It's so powerful and so direct that anyone can understand it, no matter their race, she sings a song about white resistance. She sings/reads a poem about fighting back, which is exactly what whites were afraid back then. What if oppressed people stopped worrying about the law? What if the oppressed took matters into their own hands. They decided to change the script and take control of the country. That was 1/6.Simone is an amazing performer because she's not well-known. Sly and Family Stone are the real stars. They were there back in the days when people had to attend shows to see bands. An act that was so good live could earn a reputation and break into the mainstream. Springsteen was born that way. Sly & the Family Stone had more hits but they stole the movie at Woodstock. They wanted to take you higher! Sly performs the same routine in this flick, and the audience responds as enthusiastically as the year before on Yasgurs Farm. This was not Woodstock's power, it was Sly. The energy is palpable when Sly and his band take to the stage. You can feel it, everyone else is just a performer. Sly, the Family Stone, are life itself.Pops Staples still lives and his family has the power to make you stand out. Mavis is still able to hide in plain sight. I was amazed when she opened her mouth for Bonnie Raitt. She doesn't get the attention that she deserves.The Edwin Hawkins Singers are another option. This was precisely when Oh Happy Day became a huge hit. It's still very fresh even though I had given up on it by 69. Gladys Knight & The Pips perform the original version I Heard It Through The Grapevine. The Fifth Dimension is finally contextualized. Although they were well-known for their hits, many people mistakenly consider them white bread. Another thing that is noticeable, everyones voice, everybodys playing, is SO GOOD! This is not CSNY at Woodstock. They have practiced it, and it is a great performance. David Ruffin, in a suit and singing My Girl in the middle of a hot summer day after he left The Temptations. Then there are the instrumentalists that surprise Max Roach. Herbie Mann. Ray Baretto was a man I knew only by his name, and he killed on the congas. Mongo Santamaria. Hugh Masekela performing Grazing In the Grass. B.B. King singing the blues. Although you may not like gospel music, you'll soon discover that you love it when you see these performances. That is the power of Mahalia Jackson.John Lindsay. A mayor can still bring hope.The moon landing.It's amazing to see what happened back then. All the assassinations and murders of leaders, JFK through Martin to RFK.The moon landing was a success. It wasn't off the agenda for a decade but it was something we didn't anticipate. It did happen! It was thrilling! You were proud to be American. We were the greatest country in the entire world. Then again, there was the Vietnam situation.There was a spectacle during the moon landing, and people were there to say they didn't care. This is a testimony that the government should not spend so much money on space programs, but instead, the people. The same story is repeated fifty years later. But now, the general mentality is that welfare is bad and that reparations are unacceptable.Black people are inherently fearful of white people. Are the tens to thousands of people in attendance just nogoodniks who will assault you, steal all your assets, and rape your daughters or take your money? They are just normal people trying to get along.You start to watch Summer of Soul because of the music, but they eventually fall behind the commentary, history, and context. It's hard to understand everything. You are bombarded with so many facts that you don't know.Unless you were alive in 1969. The time when young people learned from entertainers. When minimum wage was the only way to make ends meet. You believed that everything could turn out well, even though things were chaotic. Although there was no internet or streaming media, society was alive and well.You can either go to a cinema and see it, or you can just download it from Hulu. The film is powerful and clear on the small screen.There is so much we can learn. Please, tell us more about black history. Education is key to harmony and peace. I'm not talking about teaching to the test. But a movie like Summer of Soul is so good you won't be able to help but learn a few things.If you have a long weekend, and you have the time, grab Summer of Soul, regardless of whether or not youre a music lover. Cynthia Robinson's trumpet playing is amazing. Feel the power and unity of the music and people. STOP!~~~You can visit the archive at http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/@Lefsetz http://www.twitter.com/lefsetzSubscribe to the LefsetzLetter
